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2005-06-22 Home Front: Tech

Russian Space Agency: Solar Launch Failed

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Posted by Spot 2005-06-22 08:24|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Now a'hold up there - how come a'certain of the MSM have arrrteeekles describing dem dat Solar Sail as operational and cabable of a'orbitin, with the Russki engine probs a minutae glitch!

Posted by JosephMendiola">JosephMendiola 2005-06-22 08:41|| n/a]">[n/a] 2005-06-22 08:41|| Front Page Top

#2 Remind me again why they were using a sub to launch?

It saves them the trouble of building a launch site on land; the missile in question is designed for launch from the sea; finally, it lets the western sponsor say they're using the "former" Russian domesday weapon for something useful while the Russians get to do a launch test of one of their missiles/subs at Western expense.

I *thought* they had a doppler signal from the satellite last night, before the apogee kick motor kicked in, which was on the satellite and not the launcher. So that should hint at where the problem started.

Posted by Phil Fraering 2005-06-22 09:08|| http://newsfromthefridge.typepad.com]">[http://newsfromthefridge.typepad.com] 2005-06-22 09:08|| Front Page Top

#3 From the report I saw the booster failed after 83 seconds. And they originally built these things to lob nucs at us????????

Posted by Cheaderhead 2005-06-22 09:35|| 2005-06-22 09:35|| Front Page Top

#4 Pity. Regardless of who [fails to] launch it, science projects like this are international.

Cheaderhead: That's why they had 3-4 targetted at each of our silos and cities.

Posted by Jackal">Jackal 2005-06-22 10:02|| home.earthlink.net/~sleepyjackal/index.html]">[home.earthlink.net/~sleepyjackal/index.html] 2005-06-22 10:02|| Front Page Top

#5 Iridium was first designed to use the MX missiles being decomissioned as part of START.
When statistics were run on its targeting and reliblity new rockets had to be quickly be found. Pegasus was the first choice but it's payload size kept getting smaller. Eventually regular boosters from US, USSR and China (long march) were used....
Needless to say at a much much higher cost.

Posted by 3dc 2005-06-22 10:12|| 2005-06-22 10:12|| Front Page Top

#6 Also, the missile in question is only meant to put stuff onto ballistic trajectories. It can bomb New York just fine.

The satellite had an integrated "kick stage" meant to take it the rest of the way into LEO, but that appears to be the part that malfunctioned.

Posted by Phil Fraering 2005-06-22 13:45|| http://newsfromthefridge.typepad.com]">[http://newsfromthefridge.typepad.com] 2005-06-22 13:45|| Front Page Top

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